Since the election of Republican Governor Pat McCrory in 2012, all bets have been off as Republicans gained control of the entire state government for the first time since Reconstruction. Art Pope himself was put in charge of the state’s budget and the legislature has been racing to pass all manner of extreme right-wing legislation.

Now progressives are fighting back with weekly “Moral Monday” protests against these extreme policies. More than 480 people have been arrested in the demonstrations, including 84 just yesterday. Many of those arrested have been clergy who have not been previously involved in civil disobedience. Last week, police even arrested a journalist simply trying to cover the protests.

The Moral Mondays movement, which is gaining support from five major Christian denominations, was originally spawned as a response to a regressive tax proposal that threatened to cut taxes for North Carolina’s wealthiest 5 percent while also raising taxes on the other 95 percent. But as the movement nears its third month, advocates are expanding their criticisms to include a growing list of extreme bills and laws endorsed by the Republican-dominated state leadership. These proposals, many of which have already passed through the state legislature, would:

– Repeal the Racial Justice Act, a 2009 law that allows death row inmates to appeal their conviction if they prove that racial bias played a role in their sentence.

In addition, many of the advocates are expressing concern about proposed budget cuts to state unemployment benefits, which would deprive 70,000 North Carolinians of much-needed assistance if the law is allowed to take effect on June 30th. Over time, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that if the government benefits are allowed to expire, as many as 170,000 people in North Carolina could lose extended federal benefits.

BOTTOM LINE: North Carolina shows just what the extreme right will do when they get control of all of the levers of power and isn’t pretty. Women, children, workers, voters, and even clean air and water are falling prey to this vicious assault, but progressive are fighting backing and standing up for an economy that works for everyone, not just multi-millionaires and their billionaire friends.